Defenseman Pulock named to all-rookie team

Published 7:24 pm, Wednesday, April 8, 2015

BRIDGEPORT -- One of the brightest spots in a tough season for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers got some recognition Wednesday.

Ryan Pulock, the defenseman with the cannon of a right-handed shot, was voted to the AHL's all-rookie team, Bridgeport's second selection in two years (Ryan Strome) and seventh in team history.

He has been part all year of a young defense. Bridgeport brought in a couple of young goalies over the past couple of weeks, C.J. Motte and New York Islanders draft pick Stephon Williams, and has added two young forwards, Colin Markison and latest arrival Tanner Eberle.

"The tempo was really fast out there," Eberle said Wednesday after his first practice with Bridgeport, signed to a pro tryout. "Obviously it's a league up from where I was originally playing, but I felt good out there. I enjoyed the systems and everything."

Eberle -- a distant cousin of the Edmonton Oilers' Jordan Eberle -- was playing this month with the ECHL's Allen Americans. He had four points in five games after finishing his season with Moose Jaw of the junior Western Hockey League.

His game's more than scoring: He wants to be an energy kind of player, a team player using his speed and playing a physical game.

"He's an edgy, hard-working kid," Bridgeport coach Brent Thompson said. "He put 33 goals in the net for Moose Jaw. He's not afraid of going to the dirty areas and finishing his hits. He plays a hard game, which we're looking for."

Markison played Saturday and Monday, his first two pro games out of the University of Vermont. Even in limited minutes, he got involved, putting five shots on goal in the two games, both wins.

Pulock had a goal in both games. His 17 goals were among the league leaders for defensemen and set a Bridgeport team record. He went into Wednesday second in the entire AHL with 13 power-play goals, behind only Hershey right winger Stanislav Galiev's 15.

The all-rookie team also included defenseman Ville Pokka, an Islanders' draft pick who was actually assigned briefly to Bridgeport before going to Chicago in a preseason trade for Nick Leddy. He has 30 points in 64 games for the Rockford IceHogs.

The Islanders announced Wednesday that they've signed defenseman Kyle Burroughs, a seventh-round draft pick two years ago. That contract begins next season.